Sure, lazing on the couch the day after a grueling workout may seem like the optimal recovery plan for your muscles, but active recovery will actually help you bounce back better the next day.
So what exactly is active recovery? It’s engaging in lower-intensity exercises that rebuild and restore muscle strength for the next training session. Low intensity movement increases blood flow; blood carries oxygen and other nutrients throughout the muscles that’ll assist in repair and prevent fatigue.
“It’s akin to a ‘staycation.’ You’re still ‘in-town’ but seeing the sights in a new and relaxed way,” says Andia Winslow, CPT and founder of The Fit Cycle. “It’ll ensure less soreness/stiffness and enhanced performance when returning to regularly programmed workouts.”
Ideally, you’ll want to plan an active recovery activity in between your tougher training sessions.
“For example, if your workouts were on Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday would be active recovery,” Winslow says. “Thursday and Friday would be workouts again, and passive recovery would fall on the weekend in this example. Unlike its active counterpart, [passive recovery] truly is a rest day. Take a load off, kick off your shoes, and relax. Remember, this is a necessary part of the program.”
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You could alternatively add active recovery to your regular training sessions, by dedicating time to less intense exercises like jumping jacks, air squats, or boxer shuffles.
But according to Winslow, dedicating whole days to active recovery will benefit your bod most. There’s a good variety of active recovery exercises out there, so choose what you find most engaging.
“What’s great is that active recovery can be fun,” she says. “Try a meander in a park with your dog, shoot some hoops, ride your bike slowly through a new neighborhood, glide around in a pool– the opportunities are endless.”
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